How to clean chrome parts from plaque. How do you remove rust from chrome? On the video - removing rust from a chrome bumper

A real headache for many housewives is the usual rust that occurs on chrome products in the bathroom and kitchen. Despite the widespread belief that chromium is immune to corrosion, red spots often appear on plumbing fixtures, shelves, holders and other metal products.

Chrome faucets are in high demand due to their durability and aesthetic appearance.

Chrome plating is the coating of metal products with a thin layer of chromium. Thanks to this procedure, the strength of the material increases and its aesthetic qualities increase. However, from the appearance of rust, unfortunately, such a coating does not save. A similar nuisance occurs due to the appearance of small scratches on the surface of chrome. Ordinary metal, which is under the coating, oxidizes under the influence of oxygen, resulting in such a problem as rust. In addition, in everyday life, the chrome surface is exposed to soap suds, mold and dust - all these factors make the shiny surface cloudy, completely destroying the feeling of comfort and cleanliness. Fortunately, removing dirt and rust from chrome is not that difficult.

How to remove rust from chrome parts

You can clean the surface of rust with the help of special tools, or by resorting to folk recipes. To date, manufacturers offer a lot of tools for quick and high-quality removal of rust stains. However, there are several cleaning methods using improvised means.

What can be done to combat corrosion?

• soft fabric;
• regular baking soda;
• liquids containing acid (vinegar, lemon juice, or regular Coca-Cola);
• salt;
• tin foil;
• metal wool.

How to clean chrome - folk recipes

How to clean chrome professionally

There are professional compounds for removing rust from chrome - as a rule, there is a marking on the product packaging indicating the possibility of cleaning, polishing and protection. In particular, we can highlight Doctor Wax and Metal Polish. The cost of such funds justifies itself: the expense with high-quality care for chrome will be minimal - as a rule, a weekly treatment is enough.

It is better to use professional formulations in a well-ventilated area and keep children and pets away from the freshly treated surface.

How to prevent corrosion

To care for the chrome surface, use only gentle products - this will help to keep the appearance in perfect condition for a long time.

Regular cleaning and keeping chrome surfaces clean will help prevent damage to the finish and subsequent oxidation of the metal. It must be remembered that any processing of chrome products must be done with due care to avoid any damage to the coating.

• Various multi-purpose cleaners such as Cillit Bang, Mr. Muscle, etc. do an excellent job of removing dirt and not harming chrome. After cleaning, wipe the shiny surface with a soft cloth.
• Old soap suds can be removed from plumbing fixtures with cooking spray or antistatic wipes. Soap-stained chrome should be treated with a spray and wiped with a cloth.
• Strictly follow the material and means that are used to clean metal products. Compounds containing abrasive particles should be avoided - they lead to additional damage to the chrome-plated product and only exacerbate the problem of rust. Do not try to remove stains with sandpaper either - deep scratches increase the access of oxygen to the metal, provoking its oxidation. Gentle products, fabric and metal wool will help keep the chrome coating in its original state for a long time.

Care of chrome products

A protective layer of special polishing will help reduce the natural wear of the surface and prevent corrosion. There are also rust sprays and lubricants to keep the chrome from getting damaged.

If the chrome surface has suffered significant damage, you can use spray paint, which refreshes the coating and helps to avoid further rust stains.

You can buy similar products in hardware stores. In addition to the color that imitates a metallic coating, this paint has an extensive palette, so that coloring can revive a boring interior. Coating the surface with paint will protect the product from subsequent “attacks” of rust.

Rust on home plumbing is not such a terrible misfortune. Thanks to simple actions, the chrome-plated surface will serve faithfully for a long time to the delight of the owners.

It is not so easy to restore chromium previously applied to the surface of a metal or plastic product. Despite the high level of development of modern technologies, there are not so many truly effective methods for solving such a problem. It is especially difficult to carry out the procedure for restoring chromium at home.

The application of a layer of chromium on products for various purposes is carried out in order not only to improve their decorative characteristics, but also to form a reliable protective coating on them. Chrome-plated parts are well protected from corrosion, in addition, the chromium layer increases their strength and, accordingly, wear resistance.

The most common technology by which a chromium layer is applied to a product is the galvanic method. This method involves processing the part in an electrolytic solution, through which an electric current is passed, and allows you to form a protective layer of chromium on its surface. The same technology is used to restore chromium.

How to care for chrome plating

Chrome-plated products can be found almost everywhere today, but most often chrome is applied to parts used to complete cars. Chrome-plated elements of the car, due to the peculiarities of the operation of vehicles, are most negatively affected by external factors. That is why care for such details should be given special attention. In order not to restore or change them in the future if the chrome coating is damaged or loses its attractiveness, it is enough to monitor their condition and regularly perform simple preventive maintenance. Every motorist who cares about the appearance of his vehicle is able to perform such work.

To keep the chrome finish in its original condition and prevent damage that requires repair, it should be wiped regularly with a foam sponge or soft cloth dampened with warm water. When performing such work, you can not use a rough cloth or a hard sponge, which can leave small scratches and abrasions on the protective layer, which will lead to tarnishing.

It is important to know that the chromium layer on the surface of the product is quite critical of temperature fluctuations. Therefore, in order to eliminate the need for a chrome restoration procedure, when operating a car in the cold season, it is best to protect chrome parts with a special oil spray, and clean and service them in a warm garage.

Cleaning chrome parts

Any vehicle owner is interested in the question of how to clean the chrome part delicately, so that later they do not have to restore the chrome. For the qualitative implementation of such a procedure, it is not necessary to contact specialists; you can do it yourself with your own hands, using the simplest means for this:

1. chalk, crushed to a powder state;
2. ammonia;
3. polish for chrome;
4. microfiber wipes;
5. regular Coca-Cola.

How to clean a chrome-plated surface and restore its original shine using these simple tools?

• The most budgetary option for cleaning a chrome coating involves the use of a mushy mixture of crushed chalk, tooth powder and ammonia. The part cleaned with this mixture acquires its original luster. To preserve the gloss for a long period, it is desirable to cover the treated surface with a layer of colorless varnish, which will reliably protect it from minor mechanical damage.
• Many car enthusiasts prefer to clean chrome with Coca-Cola, which is also a fairly effective way. This is explained by the fact that the composition of this drink contains orthophosphate acid, which has strong oxidizing and, accordingly, cleaning properties.
• Polishing of chrome is carried out using special pastes that can be purchased at any automotive store. Such a paste is applied to a microfiber cloth, with which the treatment is performed.

Chromium recovery procedure

Restoring chrome parts is a much more complicated procedure than bringing painted products back to their original state. It is possible to qualitatively restore a damaged chrome layer only with the use of special equipment and consumables, many of which cannot be purchased at a regular hardware store.

Therefore, in cases where a chrome-plated car rim or other chrome-plated car element needs to be restored, it is best to contact specialists. However, knowing how to restore the chrome coating to give it its original attractiveness and protective properties will not be out of place for any car enthusiast.

The procedure for restoring chrome is as follows:

1. Usually, chrome coatings need to be removed from rust, which can not only worsen their decorative appeal, but also significantly reduce their protective properties: corrosion begins to actively affect the base metal on which chromium is applied. First of all, traces of corrosion must be removed from the chrome coating to be restored, for which a grinder is used. With the help of such a tool, all the irregularities that exist on it should be removed from the treated surface. At the initial stage of such processing, a coarser disk is installed on the machine, which is later replaced with tools made of fine abrasive. Finishing with a grinder is done with a felt disc.
2. The product element cleaned with a grinder, the surface of which should become perfectly smooth, must be degreased. For such a procedure, which can be performed several times, if the surface to be treated is heavily contaminated with grease and oil stains, gasoline or kerosene can be used. At this stage of processing, various contaminants and plaque are also removed.
3. After degreasing, it is necessary to remove traces of its implementation and only after that immerse the product in a bath with an electrolytic solution to restore chromium.
4. In order for the restoration of the chrome coating to be performed with high quality, and the chromium layer to last as long as possible, it is advisable to perform the technological operation of decapitation. This procedure is performed in a special solution consisting of a mixture of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, into which the workpiece is immersed. After decapitation, the part is very carefully removed from the acid solution and washed with warm water. This should be done with tongs.
5. The chromium plating process itself is carried out in a bath with an electrolytic solution, which includes chromic anhydride, chromine, cryolite and sodium nitrate. Restore chromium in the electrolyte should be within 7-10 minutes (the duration of treatment depends on the temperature of the solution used).

It is possible to assemble your own chrome restoration apparatus, but at home, as a rule, they can process parts that are small in size and uncomplicated in shape.

Despite the fact that chromium is one of the hardest elements in nature, the coating inevitably receives various kinds of defects during operation. Let's look at how to restore chrome parts, clean, polish, and also prevent further destruction of chrome.

Coating defects

Chrome plating is a thin layer of chromium that is applied to a metal surface, often pre-plated with a layer of nickel, by electroplating. When chromizing plastic, that is, a dielectric, the surface is mechanically treated to create adhesion, then a preliminary conductive layer is applied. The surface becomes less vulnerable to mechanical stress, and in the case of metal, it is also protected from corrosion. The quality of the coating is affected by chromium plating technology. But even the highest quality chrome can get various kinds of damage over time:

Damage to chrome elements that can be repaired at home does not include: peeling of the top layer of the coating or chrome along with the nickel substrate, lack of chromium in recessed areas of the product or around holes. Defects of this kind are a factory defect that occurs as a result of a violation of technology or the use of low-quality reagents. To restore such car parts, it will be necessary to completely remove the old coating and apply a new layer of chrome. Despite the complexity and cost of the process, it is quite a feasible task. Consider the phased restoration of all types of damage.

Corrosion removal

Chromium protects metal surfaces well from rust, but is itself susceptible to corrosion. This is facilitated by aggressive reagents used for roads in the winter season.

Through corrosion, in which the complete destruction of the chromium layer occurs, can only be restored by re-treatment of the part. Also, restorations are not submitted for areas where the rusting of the metal has led to the delamination of the chrome layer.

In all other cases, to remove corrosion of the part, you can use:

• a mixture of baking soda, powdered gas stove cleaner and warm water. To prepare, dilute soda and powder in a 1: 1 ratio, and then add water, stirring until a paste;
• as a substitute for baking soda, you can use citric acid and ordinary salt in a 1: 1 ratio. Coca-Cola will cope with small pockets of corrosion;
• WD-40 (colloquially called "Vedeshka");
• specialized cleaners for chrome. For example, Soft99 Chrome Cleaner or Doctor Wax (DW8317), "Chrome Cleaner" from GRASS, etc. Manufacturers of products assure that the composition of their chemicals and fine abrasive can not only remove oxides and turbidity, but also create a protective film. So you can protect the parts from further destruction. Often such products are positioned as polishing pastes to remove haze and scuffs. Therefore, with a large amount of corrosion, they are recommended to be used as the final stage of giving a presentation.

Procedure

To clean chrome parts, foil or metal wool (steel wool) is often used; for lack of it, you can use a regular sponge.

Never use sandpaper. Doing so will remove too much of the chrome and cause scratches, thereby damaging the parts even more. In addition, you will additionally "bare" the surface, opening up corrosion centers for oxygen and moisture to enter.

Rust removal begins with a thorough cleaning of chrome parts and adjacent areas from dirt, bituminous stains, and grease deposits. You can use car shampoo (no wax), special tar stain removers, foamy engine cleaner, and a common degreasing solvent.

To use commercial cleaners for chrome parts, just put a few drops on a rag and rub the surface until a shine appears. If you use your own product made from acids and salts, then you need to apply it to the surface, leaving it for a few minutes for a chemical reaction. To make cleaning more effective, wipe the part with the soft side of a dishwashing sponge; you can remove rust from recesses, grooves or joints with a toothbrush. It is better to do this procedure several times. So you can control the effect of chemical elements on the part. Excessively aggressive composition left for a long time will lead to the destruction of the excess chromium layer.

Polishing

You can restore the original shine to chrome elements and remove minor scratches by polishing. As a polishing paste, you can use GOI paste, which, depending on the size of the abrasive particles, is presented in several variations (NN 1-4):

• NN 4 is the coarsest abrasive. Suitable for removing oxides and grinding deep scratches from the part;
• NN 3 - medium abrasive, which will give a smooth matte surface without roughness;
• NN 1-2 - numbers for finishing. Polishing will give the original shine and smoothness.

The number of required numbers of GOI paste depends on the degree of damage to the chrome part. For high-quality restoration, NN 1-3 will be enough. Most often, the paste can be found in bars, so when polishing it is permissible to use a couple of drops of pure motor oil. Door handles after polishing should be cleaned if oily deposits remain on them. For other elements, engine oil will create a protective film that will protect the chrome elements of the car from reagents.

Among cosmetics for cars, you can find special polishes for chrome. For example, Doctor Wax (DW8317), Chrome Polish by Sapfire, Liqui Moli Chrom-Glanz-Creme or similar products from other manufacturers.

For manual polishing, it is enough to apply the composition to a cotton cloth or microfiber and rub the surface to a shine. You can polish the surface with the highest quality using a polishing machine or special polishing wheels with an adapter for a screwdriver. It is advisable to polish the part in two stages:

• felt wheel at medium speed;
• felt or soft foam circle (usually black) to give a final shine. You need to polish at medium speed. In order not to overheat the surfaces of the parts, do not linger for a long time in one place; periodically the surface can be moistened with clean water.

Before polishing the chrome parts of the car, thoroughly clean the surface of dirt.

Alternative Methods

If the restoration of chrome elements with your own hands does not give positive results, you can style the part for chrome using a vinyl film. This method will restore the shine of chrome elements of the car without time-consuming galvanic treatment. Among the manufacturers of film with the effect of chromium are:

You should not expect elasticity and a mirror effect from a cheap Chinese film; also, a low-quality film may swell or peel off at the edges over time. It is worth considering that compared to conventional vinyl materials, pasting with a chrome film has a number of features. The advantage of this restoration is that it becomes possible to choose the color shade of the chrome coating. Therefore, if you want to do the work yourself, choose only high-quality materials - so the chances of repeating the original chrome are much higher. If chrome peeling occurs on the old part or large cracks and foci of corrosion occur, then all the old chrome will have to be removed to obtain a smooth surface. To do this, you can use abrasive installations (for example, a sandblaster) or chemical solutions.

The second alternative is chemical plating. Although the coating is cheaper than the electroplating method of forming chromium, the level of quality is quite acceptable. Processing takes place with the help of special equipment, so it will be extremely costly to restore chrome parts with your own hands.

The development of the automotive industry today boasts both an impressive scale and a very rapid pace. Nevertheless, there are some issues that, to one degree or another, remain problematic for many motorists, both half a century ago and in modern conditions.

One of these issues is how to prevent damage to all kinds of chrome parts and elements of the car, as well as how to restore them.

Let's start with prevention methods. How to prevent the occurrence of all kinds of damage on the chrome surfaces of the car? The beautiful reflective and shiny chrome surface becomes covered with small scratches over time, and it simply fades, from which the overall appearance of the car undoubtedly suffers.

There is a widespread belief that chrome parts rust less. This is not so, chrome rusts no worse than ordinary iron itself, therefore, first of all, you need to be careful about washing a car with chrome elements. Water should preferably be soapy and warm, and immediately after washing, it is recommended to wipe all chrome elements with a soft foam sponge or cloth. Remember that chrome parts tarnish quickly from being treated with rough materials, becoming covered with a network of micro scratches. Therefore, before, for example, wiping a chrome-plated bumper with a rag, be sure to moisten it with warm water for softness.

In order for chrome parts to last for a long time, strong temperature changes and excessive moisture should also be avoided. In summer, after washing, it will be enough to rearrange the car in the shade. In winter, it is best to use special protective sprays. In addition, the pressure of water during washing should be tried to be made weaker. And don't leave the garage with traces of moisture on the surface of the chrome parts.

Periodically, you can also wipe the chrome parts with kerosene, then wash it off with warm water. At the same time, care must be taken that neither kerosene nor white spirit ever remain on the surface of these parts. Avoid contact with soda and mineral. For degreasing before polishing chrome, use kerosene.

Corrosion is the most serious problem for all chrome parts, because they are inevitably exposed to aggressive road environments. Therefore, the best way to get rid of rust is to prevent rust. To do this, you can use a special varnish or technical vaseline. These substances do a good job of protecting, but they can slightly degrade the appearance of chrome. Plus, you will need to update such protection approximately once every 2-3 months.

Polished chrome door handle

For high-quality and effective protection, it is best to use specialized tools. Due to the action of water with various salts in the composition, even the highest quality products can become covered with corrosion spots. The first thing to do in this case is to localize the source of corrosion, to perform mechanical cleaning, removing the rusted area. After that, the surface is also covered with oil varnish.

To remove rust at home, baking soda is also suitable, with which, however, you need to be careful, as it can be too hard. Alternatively, you can use a soft powder or powdered chalk on a flannel cloth.

It is best to restore corrosion-damaged chrome-plated parts using specialized compounds that can be purchased at an auto shop. Despite this, you can come up with something without specialized tools.

With severe corrosion, you can use such a common tool as, but this will be an extreme case.

WD-40 or simply "Vedeshka" - it can also easily remove corrosion from chrome

Before cleaning a rusted part, the first step is to remove it from the car and move it to a place where there will be no temperature changes. In a situation where rust eats through the chrome coating through, machining will be required. The level of abrasiveness of materials for grinding is determined by the depth of corrosion damage to parts. For some cases, a fine emery will suffice, for others, a coarser abrasive.

When removing a significant amount of metal, you need to take care of its protection, apply primer to the welding seams, etc.

A full-fledged chrome plating process at home is not possible. It is very likely to achieve a silver reduction reaction with an inorganic salt, but the resulting coating is a bit brittle and not at all practical as a coating for external parts.

To remove traces of stains and grease, use cleaners. The use of acids is allowed, but only if, immediately after processing, they are removed from the surface of the parts. Do not allow anhydrous ammonia or acid in the polish. Polish will be required if the damage is shallow. In addition, you can also use chalk, any kind of tooth powder, GOI paste, which should be diluted with two drops of motor oil. Keep in mind that the paste is usually coarse-grained, so be careful when removing damage and polishing here.

There is also another popular folk remedy for removing rust - foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

Here is an example of a sequence of actions to remove rust from car chrome parts using Coca-Cola, Pepsi and similar drinks.

1. To begin with, carefully wipe all the chrome surfaces that we want to clean from dust.

2. After that, you should additionally wash the surfaces with warm water.

4. After processing, it is desirable to polish the surface with felt. If there is no felt, use a regular soft cloth.

When using specialized rust removers, the algorithm of work is, by and large, the same. It should also be noted that if the rust is initially quite deep, it may be worthwhile to first apply sandpaper or other abrasive products. Only this must be done very carefully and purposefully, so as not to remove the excess coating layer.

And remember that under any circumstances and in any conditions, it is the attentive and caring attitude to chrome parts that is the main factor in achieving its ideal appearance.

Chrome-plated exterior trim elements give the car a special charm. Every automaker strives to spruce up its premium models with chrome, making them more attractive. But in the end, the buyer has to pay for this beauty. The fact is that the chrome coating quickly loses its original appearance. The owner of the car has to look for how to clean the chrome parts of the car.

Possible defects

Chrome plating is the thinnest layer of chromium that appears on a metal surface during the electroplating process. Chrome plating can also be applied to plastic. But since the base is a dielectric, an adhesive layer of a conductive substance is first applied to the plastic element.

In the case of plastic, chromium plating can significantly increase the resistance of the element to physical influences. For metal, chromium plating serves as a kind of protection against corrosion. In this case, the chrome coating itself can be destroyed under the influence of various factors.

Chrome can take the following types of damage:

• Scratches and scuffs.
• Microcracks.
• Turbidity.
• Loss of original shine.
• Color change (yellowing)
• The appearance of a white coating.
• The occurrence of foci of corrosion.

At home, using cleaning products for chrome parts of a car, it is impossible to eliminate such damage: peeling of chrome from the substrate, loss of a chrome film in places of recesses. If such a defect appeared while the car was under warranty, then you need to contact the dealer for its elimination, since this damage is a manufacturing defect. To eliminate such a defect, you need to completely remove the old coating and chrome the element again.

Getting rid of corrosion

Chrome surfaces in the conditions of Russian winters and under the influence of reagents, which are poured in excess on roads, quickly corrode. If the damage is end-to-end, then the element can be restored only by repeated galvanic processing. It is also impossible without electroplating to restore the chrome plating of those parts where the chrome layer has fallen off due to rust on the metal itself.

In all other cases, you can clean the chrome on the car after the winter from light corrosion using the following tools:

All commercially produced anti-corrosion agents are polishing pastes. Therefore, it is recommended to use them at the finish of work to give details a special shine.

Procedure

The size of the damage is very difficult to assess if the chrome part is not cleaned of dirt. This must be done very carefully, as the chrome film is very thin. When performing cleaning, the following rules must be observed:

First, rinse the part with warm water, and then wipe it with gasoline. You may have to repeat this procedure several times.

If dirty plaque remains in some hard-to-reach places, then it can be removed from there with an old toothbrush with soft bristles.

So that corrosion does not harm neighboring areas of chromium, the lesion must be localized. This can be done with regular wax or polish.

They can be removed both with improvised means and with specialized cleaners sold in stores. For example, at home, you can use chalk or washing powder.

They will not cause additional damage to the chrome plating, but they will effectively remove oxides.

When removing minor foci of corrosion, it is necessary to carefully clean the damaged areas, while trying not to touch the undamaged surface.

If corrosion has reached the base, then chlorine and soda can be used to remove it. These substances will quickly cope with plaque, but you need to be careful not to damage the entire surface.

WD-40 can be used to clean hard to reach areas. But you need to remember that this tool will remove plaque, but will not cope with severe corrosion.

All substances used by and large do not remove rust, but soften it. Therefore, at the final stage, you need to remove both cleaning products and rust.

In fact, you need to wash the chrome on the car. And if dry cleaning products are used, then they and soft rust can be removed with a brush.

After removing rust and oxides, the chrome surface may lose its smoothness. To make it smooth again, you need to apply a special ceramic-based paste to the defect site. It fits perfectly on the base and goes well with chrome. Due to its good priming properties, ceramic paste quickly fills in irregularities at the site of damage. It can be used to eliminate defects up to several millimeters deep. Alignment occurs within one day.

After restoring the damaged layer, it is time to restore its aesthetic properties. The most reliable way is to use electroplating. But this method at home is difficult to implement. You can also give the part to a specialized workshop, but their services are expensive.

When restoring at home, the easiest way is to use a special chrome film or imitate a chrome surface with paint.

It is very easy to decorate a detail with a “chrome” film. The damaged element must be degreased with white spirit. After that, you need to attach the film to the part and mark up. Excess is removed, but you should not forget to leave a small margin.

A clean part must be sprayed with soapy water, remove the substrate from the film and apply the latter to the part. The superimposed film must be heated with a building hair dryer while simultaneously running a squeegee from the middle of the element to its edges. This will allow the film to adhere securely to the part and expel any remaining air from under it. Excess film is carefully trimmed with a razor.

Paint is even easier to work with. You need to purchase a jar or spray can of paint of a suitable composition in the store. Experts recommend buying paint in cans, as it has better reflective properties. In addition, it is much closer in appearance to chrome.

Paint in banks happens one and two-component. The second option is more difficult to apply, but this mixture also lasts much longer.

You need to paint according to the following technology:

• The pre-prepared part is degreased, several layers of dark soil are applied to its surface and allowed to dry.
• A layer of ceramic lacquer is applied and dried for an hour at a temperature of 60 °C.
• The varnished part is kept for 3 days at room temperature, after which they start painting. Moreover, the paint is applied in several layers.
• The paint dries for 1 hour at 60°C.
• In the final, the part is varnished and polished

The resulting coverage can not be called ideal. However, it is much better than corroded chrome.

Prevent damage to chrome

It is impossible to completely protect the chrome on a car. But it is up to the owner to reduce the likelihood of damage. To do this, you need to use special tools for car chrome care.

In protecting chrome parts, you can go in two ways:

How exactly to care for the car to prevent damage to chrome surfaces is up to the owner to decide. Experts advise to tighten the car parts that are most susceptible to mechanical impact and oxidation into the film. All other chrome elements can be protected with chemistry.